Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has written to the Secretary of Defense asking him not to go ahead with the early retirement of more than 300 warplanes. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

Smart bomb technology means that fewer fighter planes can eliminate more targets with far fewer bombs.

So the Air Force wants to retire hundreds of planes early – saving money and providing more dollars for new high-tech F-35s.

But Senator Wyden isn’t happy because some of the older planes are based in Oregon.

Wyden: “I would compare it to firing the entire Portland Police Department and hiring Barney Fife and his one bullet. I mean our country just can’t eliminate all defenses and hope for the best.”

Wyden also suspects that if planes are retired without being immediately replaced, it could lead to base closures.

The Oregon Air National Guard nearly lost one of its protective missions in 2005.